Display-rack for piece goods.



No. 565,350. Patented Jan. 22, 190i. A. OLSON.

DISPLAY RACK FOR PIECE GOODS (Application filed Apr. 23. 1900 2Sheets-$heet I.

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No. 666,350. Patented Jan. 22,490l. A. OLSON.

DISPLAY RACK FOR PIECE GOODS (Applicatioxi filed Apr. 23. 1900.\

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ANDREWV OLSON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

DESPLAY=RACK FOR PiECE GOODS.

SPEGIFZCATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 666,350, dated January22, 1901.

Appl cation filed April 23, 1900. Serial No. 13,903. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ANDREW OLSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minne apolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDisplay-Racks for Piece Goods; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved display-rackespecially adapted to hold a large number of bolts of cloth in suchposition that they may be readily displayed to the customer.

To this end the invention consists of the novel devices and combinationsof devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure l is a view in side elevation showing my improved display-rack.Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line :0 x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section on the line x of Fig. 1. Fig. l is a vertical sectionon the line 00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail showing a portion of one ofthe upright bars of the rack and one of the supporting-rods, and Fig. 6is a horizontal section on the line so 00 of Fig. 5. r

The body of the rack is made up of a pair of horizontal spider-likebrackets a and b, the hub portions a and b, respectively, of which areloosely mounted on a vertical shaft 0. The lower end of the shaft 0 isseated in the upper end of a pedestal j, which, as shown, is providedwith supporting-legsf. On the upper end of the pedestalf is a metalliccap f provided on its upper face with a ball-rum way f in whichbearing-balls f are placed. The hub b of the bracket Z) rests directlyupon the bearing-balls f so that the entire weight of the rack and itsload is supported by the said bearing-balls. The upper end of the shaft0 is mounted loosely in the hub to of the bracket a and simply steadiesthe rack against lateral movement. Hence the rack is mounted in suchmanner that it may be easily turn-ed.

The outer prongs of the brackets a and b are rigidly connected by barsg, that are not quite vertical, being gathered or drawn closely togetherat their upper ends. To each bar 9 a plurality of supporting rods orfingers g are secured. In order that the rods or fingers g may be turnedor folded laterally, they are provided at their inner ends withdepending studs 9 that work p votally in bearing-lugs g that are rigidlysecured by screws or other means to the bars g. Preferably these pivotedrods or fingers are provided with stoplugs g, which engage the baseportions of the lugs g and permit the said fingers to be moved or foldedin one direction only. By reference to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be notedthat the cooperating pairs of fingers or supportingrods may be foldedonly by movements in reverse directions or toward each other. This isimportant for the reason that when a bolt of cloth is supported therebyan endwise force on the bolt cannot cause the folding of the saidfingers.

In Fig. 2 three bolts of cloth are shown as supported by three pairs offingers or supporting-rods g, and it will be noted that when thussupported the ends of the bolts come approximately together, so thatthere is no waste space. The ends of the lower bolts of cloth would notcome quite together, but would be very closely spaced. If a very largeor wide bolt of cloth is to be supported by the rack, it may in somecases happen that it will more than fill the space between verticallyadjacent supporting-fingers, and in this case the pair of supportingfingers which would come in the way may be turned or folded inward, asshown by dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 6.

The device above described is capable of considerable modificationwithin the scope of my invention.

The triangular arrangement of the supporting devices of the rack isimportant for the reason that it affords a rack which, for the amount offloor-space occupied, will support a maximum amount of goods.

My improved display-rack Will be found serviceable wherever cloth,Wall-paper, or various other materials which come in the bolt or inrolls are to be displayed to the trade. The rack is, however, especiallyserviceable for displaying cloth in tailoring establishments.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

1. A display-rack, comprising upper and lower brackets tied together byupright bars, the supporting rods or fingers independently mounted forpivotal movements on the frame formed by the said brackets and tie-bars,and stops limiting the opening movements of said rods or fingers, andpermitting the same to to be thrown into inoperative positions onlyANDREW OLSON.

Witnesses:

M. M. MoGRoRY, F. D. MERCHANT.

